Find out how popular the last name Wadley is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Wadley.

Wadley, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Wadley surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Wadley in America

Wadley is the 8342nd most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Wadley surname appeared 3,968 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Wadley.

We can also compare 2010 data for Wadley to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Wadley

The surname Wadley is of English origin, derived from the Old English words "wad" meaning "ford" and "leah" meaning "a woodland clearing or meadow." It likely originated in the county of Berkshire, England, where there is a town called Wadley located near the River Ock.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname Wadley dates back to the Domesday Book of 1086, where it appeared as "Wadelei." This historical record suggests that the name was already well-established in England by the 11th century.

Wadley is also believed to be a locational surname, meaning it was initially adopted by families who lived in or near the town of Wadley in Berkshire. As people began to migrate to other parts of the country, they often took on the name of their place of origin as a means of identification.

One notable figure with the surname Wadley was John Wadley, born in 1596 in Faringdon, Berkshire. He was a wealthy merchant and benefactor who funded the construction of the Wadley Almshouses in Faringdon, which still stand today.

Another significant individual was Sir Thomas Wadley (1630-1682), a prominent English lawyer and politician who served as a Member of Parliament for Hindon, Wiltshire, during the reign of King Charles II.

In the 18th century, Samuel Wadley (1714-1784) was a renowned Anglican clergyman and author who served as the Rector of St. Mary's Church in Whitechapel, London.

The Wadley family also had a presence in the United States, with one of the earliest recorded instances being that of William Wadley, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1634.

Finally, George Wadley (1818-1891) was a British architect and surveyor who designed several notable buildings in London, including the Royal College of Science (now part of Imperial College London).

While the surname Wadley is not among the most common in England or the United States, it has a rich history spanning several centuries and continues to be associated with notable figures in various fields.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Wadley

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Wadley.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Wadley was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Wadley has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Wadley was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Wadley, please contact us.

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